TEAM-IFPTE Local 161 continues to build its international connections.

At the recent 56th IFPTE convention held August 10th-13th in Las Vegas, TEAM's delegation, led by IFPTE Western Canada Vice-President Misty Hughes-Newman, networked with 300 colleagues from across North America to build new relationships, share ideas, and consider a multitude of labour issues.

The convention presentations were hard-hitting, with expert analysis of the current labour movement from an economic, political, and social perspective.

The speakers and workshops dealt with many topics, including:

the trend toward unionization of managers and professionals,

the stubborn obstacles women still face to progress in their careers,

the growing disparity between private and public sector unions,

the contrasting motivations of younger and older professionals within unions - the importance of labour history to understanding current challenges; and

updates on the struggle to establish collective bargaining around the world.

During the convention, two resolutions drafted by TEAM delegates Jamie Barbour, Cindy Maddock, Stephen Gillies, Bob Linsdell and Ed Maxwell were adopted as new policies by the IFPTE.The first calls for IFPTE support of anti-bullying legislation in Canada and the USA, so that employees who are bullied at work will have legal recourse for their complaints.The second calls for stronger legislation to protect pensions.

For further information, see the following individual Convention Reports: